The invention relates to a differential for a motor vehicle comprising a differential case which carries a driving wheel and is disposed in a transmission case, in the differential case an axle bolt being disposed which carries differential gears, the differential gears meshing with axle shaft gears arranged on axle drive shafts, and the gears being constructed as bevel gears.
From German Patent Document DE 43 13 322 A1 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,360, it is, for example, known to dispose the axle shaft bevel gears in a cage so that the forces acting in the direction of the axle drive shafts can be absorbed. As a result, the differential case can be relieved from these forces and can therefore have a correspondingly smaller dimension.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved differential for the axle drive of a motor vehicle which, despite its light-weight construction, is distinguished by a quiet and low-wear operation.
This object is achieved by a first joint flange carrying a first of the axle shaft gears connected by way of a connecting rod with a second joint flange carrying a second of the axle shaft gears, the connecting rod being guided through an opening arranged in the axle bolt. By way of the connecting rod, the axial flux of force generated by the axle shaft bevel gears is absorbed or closed. A differential cage is therefore no longer required. By way of the connecting rod, the joint flanges are also connected in the radial direction, so that the connected, more precise bearing guidance results in a quiet operation of the axle differential.
Advantageous developments and further developments of the invention are indicated in the preferred embodiments.
In a first advantageous embodiment, the connecting rod is connected in one piece with a first joint flange. As a result of the fact that the second joint flange is guided on the connecting rod by way of radial bearings, a possible tilting movement of the two joint flanges is further reduced. This measure also contributes to the noise reduction and to a wear-free operation of the axle differential.
An axial bearing arranged at the end of the second joint flange supports a low-friction and low-noise relative movement between the joint flange and the connecting rod during the cornering of the motor vehicle.
In a second advantageous embodiment, both joint flanges are provided with a cylindrical opening through which the connecting rod is guided, a securing element being in each case arranged at the end of the joint flanges on the connecting rod, for absorbing the axial force generated because of the conical gearing.
In the following, the invention will be explained as an example by way of schematic drawings.